Final Project

Mental illness in the criminal justice system

Unit 6 Crimes, Laws, & Punishments

Learning Objectives

o   Why has mental illness become prevalent in prison systems?

o   What is deinstitutionalization?

o   What are some stigmas surrounding mental illness?

Deinstitutionalization is the process of replacing long-stay psychiatric hospitals with community mental health services. The concept of deinstitutionalization first began in the early twentieth century due to the unhygienic, overcrowded, unsafe, and abusive conditions that went into the mental health industry in this time period. This process works by first decreasing the amount of patients, shortening stays, and reducing admission rates in psychiatric hospitals. Then, the reformation of mental hospitals’ internal processes to reduce dependency and maladapted behaviors. Deinstitutionalization has caused a domino effect of the mistreatment of mental illness. Since deinstitutionalization has been in effect, there are less long-term care facilities for the severely mental ill or disabled. In turn, people with mental illness have less of a chance to seek help for mental illnesses. Another reason for the mentally ill not seeking medical treatment and attention, is the stigmas surrounding mental illnesses.  Some of the stigmas that surround mental illness include shame, blame, discrimination, stereotyping, social exclusion, isolation, and secrecy. These reasons have made it almost necessary for prison systems to become involved in the treatment the mentally ill. Also, because of the influx of mentally ill patients in prison systems, the general lack of

training and education in mental illness, and the rather high recidivism rates in America, the return rate of inmates with mental illnesses has also been high. There has also been an increase in issues within prison systems themselves with the treatment and medication of inmates with diagnosed and recognized mental illnesses. One of the biggest problems surrounding this issue has been the general lack of knowledge and training of the guards and medical staff in prisons. Because of recent budget cuts to medical costs for prison, there also tends to be a lack of proper treatment for certain illnesses. Due to the lack of things ranging from education, treatment, or financial support, many prisons deal with inmates in the only way that they can see fit; with solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is often used for violent offenders who have shown aggressiveness towards other inmates, staff, and officers. Solitary confinement can be used as a punishment inside of prison as well as to implement a suicide watch for inmates who have threatened, or acted upon, harm to themselves. Another reason to invoke a solitary confinement sentence could be a psychotic episode or symptoms of a psychotic episode. Many studies have found that prisoners with mental illnesses who are

sentenced to solitary confinement do not show improvement in their condition, and in some cases, their condition may worsen due to lack of human interaction. Also, prisoners who previously had no symptoms, signs, or diagnoses of mental illness have been known to develop mental illnesses after extended period in solitary confinement. To make the situation even worse, inmates who have been freed directly from solitary confinement have recidivism rates twice as high as their fellow inmates.

*Unable to embed movie*Click here and watch the first chapter of this story. 

Discussion Prompt:
Write a paragraph discussing a few ways that you think this problem could be solved.

Articles:
http://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/criminal-justice/mentally-ill-offenders-u-s-criminal-justice-system#

http://www.abqjournal.com/517181/opinion/mentally-disabled-ill-prisoners-civil-rights-violated.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/patients-as-prisoners-jails-new-mental-health-institutions/

Sources:

"A Brief History of Mental Illness and the U.S. Mental Health Care System." Unite for Sight. Unite for Sight. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://www.uniteforsight.org/mental-health/module2>.

Byrne, Peter. "Stigma of Mental Illness and Ways of Diminishing It." Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1 Jan. 2004. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/6/1/65.full>.

"Recidivism." National Institute of Justice. National Institute of Justice, 17 June 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/recidivism/Pages/welcome.aspx>.

"Solitary Confinement: Isolation & Administrative Segregation." Justice Fellowship. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2015. <http://www.justicefellowship.org/solitary-confinement>.

Protecting the Kitsap Forest and Bay

The people in the community of Kitsap County, Washington have become increasingly concerned with a large area of land that has been considered for both residential and industrial development. These developments would pose a threat to the community’s drinking water, wildlife, and two of their priority salmon streams. The increasing size and need for industrialization of the area has caused issues with the community’s desire to retain the area’s natural landscape. The problem is so well known among the community that a community driven initiative known as the Kitsap Forest and Bay Project was formed to protect the shoreline and forest near the community, lining the Puget Sound.

 The Kitsap Forest and Bay Project has been working on raising enough money to acquire around 7,000 acres of forest and 1.8 miles of shoreline on the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington's Puget Sound. Recently, Kitsap County purchased 900 acres of land and 1.8 miles of forested shoreline for North Kitsap Heritage Park to protect the land from deforestation and devastation of the area’s natural resources. Although this is a huge step for the project, and a big accomplishment for the community, there is still a lot of land to be acquired if they want to reach their goal. A lot of the local government has shown huge amounts of support, both financial and representative, of the project. The community as a whole is in huge support of the project because of the benefits it will have for the area as well as tourism because of

hiking and biking trails that are already in existence around the park. Many mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians have advocated for the conservation of the land not only because of the garnered area for activities, but also because of the money that the tourism to the forest and shoreline bring to local businesses. There are a lot of positive side effects to acquiring this land. Some of those being the protection of the area’s drinking water, the local wildlife population’s habitat, and two salmon streams on the land. The consequences of this project are little to none other than the possible loss of jobs and the relocation of possible building sites.

  "Kitsap Forest and Bay Coalition." Kitsap Forest and Bay Project. 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Dec. 2014. <http://www.kitsapforestbay.org/default.htm>.

"900 Acres of Trails and Habitat Permanently Protected." Sys-con Media. Ulitzer, Inc., 5 Dec. 2014. Web. 27 Dec. 2014. <http://www.sys-con.com/node/3252833>.

Death with Dignity

Euthanasia is defined by Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary as “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or injured animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.” This is different in the way that a physician administers lethal drugs, where in physician assisted suicide (or physician assisted death), the drugs are prescribed and taken by the patient. In the 17^th century common law in the American colonies prohibited the act of suicide and assisted suicide. During the renaissance and reformation, in the late 17^th century and towards the beginning of the 18^th century, many modern writers began to challenge the authority of the church concerning ethical matters. Through the rest of the 18^th century there was not a lot of interest in opposing the enacted laws of suicide and assisted suicide, although many other church systems began voicing their beliefs that concluded the preceding laws. In 1828, the first U.S. statute to explicitly outlaw assisted suicide was passed in New York. This statute also included the provision of any drug or weapon with the knowledge that someone intends to use it to take his or her own life. In 1870, Samuel Williams, a commentator and non-physician, proposed to the Birmingham Speculative Club that euthanasia be implemented to bring about a painless death for those suffering from hopeless and painful illnesses. In response to Samuel Williams’ proposal, the Journal of the American Medical Association attacked his statement claiming the proposal was “an attempt to make the physician don the robes of an executioner.” In 1915, Dr. Harry Haiselden unknowingly made the idea of euthanasia very public and helped to gain traction for the idea itself. Dr. Haiselden did this by simply making the call to not give surgery. The doctor made this call on a recently born baby boy,

who was born blue and badly deformed who would most likely suffer with his physical deformities all his life even if surgery was given. By making the decision, after the okay from the parents, to neglect the surgery, the young boy died about 5 days later. In the 1930s there was a huge increase of support for euthanasia due to the great depression. In 1935 the Voluntary Euthanasia Legislation Society was founded. In 1937 the first voluntary euthanasia act was introduced to the U.S. senate. The very next year, the National Society for the Legalization of Euthanasia was founded. The British and North American Euthanasia Societies collectively decided to petition the United Nations to amend the declaration of human rights to include euthanasia in 1952. In 1990, Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisted in his first publicized assisted suicide. Dr. Kevorkian was charged with murder after this although the charges were dropped on December 13, 1990 since there were not any laws regarding assisted suicide in Michigan at the time. However, the next year, the state of Michigan revoked his medical license. In November of 1994, Oregon passed the Death with Dignity act, becoming the first law in U.S. history to permit physician assisted suicide. On June 16, 1997 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to die. In

November of 1998, jack Kevorkian appeared on 60 minutes where he showed a video clip of himself administering a lethal injection to a man suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, Thomas Youk. In 1999 Jack Kevorkian was convicted of the murder of Thomas Youk and sentenced to 10-25 years, eight of which he served. The Netherlands officially legalized euthanasia in 2001. In 2008 Luxembourg, and Washington state legalize physician assisted suicide, making Washington the second U.S. state to pass the Death with Dignity act. In 2008, Montana ruled that Montana residents have the legal right to physician assisted suicide with court ruling. Lastly, on May 20, 2013 Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont signed the “End of Life Choices” bill into law. Many arguments against physician assisted suicide are based in religious and ethical concerns. However, some people have a fear that by condoning euthanasia it would mean rejecting the value and importance of a human life. My personal opinion is that if someone is suffering from an illness with very little to no chance of recovery, they should have the right to choose what to do with their life. If those people decide that they would rather not suffer the pain of their illness or disease and they would like to die in a painless and respectable manner, they should have the option. Considering the opposition’s arguments against it, I would say that a reasonable precaution to take would be to make a living will. A living will is a document stating a person’s desires regarding their medical treatment in circumstances where they are not able to express informed consent. The issuing of a living will allows individuals to decide what happens with their medical treatment in case they are no longer able to give informed consent regarding how they would like to be treated.

This statute also included the provision of any drug or weapon with the knowledge that someone intends to use it to take his or her own life. In 1870, Samuel Williams, a commentator and non-physician, proposed to the Birmingham Speculative Club that euthanasia be implemented to bring about a painless death for those suffering from hopeless and painful illnesses. In response to Samuel Williams’ proposal, the Journal of the American Medical Association attacked his statement claiming the proposal was “

Sources:

Emanuel, Ezekiel, and Steven Joffe. Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Mar. 2003. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books
/NBK13381>.

"Frequently Asked Questions." Oregon.gov. Oregon Health Authority, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://public.health.oregon.gov/Provider
PartnerResources/EvaluationResearch
/DeathwithDignityAct/Pages/faqs.aspx>.

"Historical Timeline - Euthanasia." ProCon. ProCon.org. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://euthanasia.
procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000022>.

Wind Energy

For over 2000 years humans have been using wind-powered machines. In 1887 the first windmill used to generate electricity was built in Scotland by a professor at Anderson’s College. Since then, wind technology has come a long way. In modern times you can see wind turbines that sit at a height of about 328 feet tall in wind farms consisting of anywhere from 20 to 100 wind turbines. Of course with the sheer number of wind turbines in each wind farm, there is going to be concerns on the impact that they make. One concern lies with the production of the wind turbines themselves. Although the production uses electricity that is backed by coal and oil based electricity, once enough wind mills are produced, they will be able to sustain enough energy to provide electricity for their own manufacturing and maintenance. Another concern is the most obvious one, funding. A majority of the funding for wind-based technology comes from investors and energy companies. Investors usually become interested in funding these types of projects on their own volition but some begin investing because of tax incentives and tax rebate programs in

place for the investors, which can encourage investors to continue their investments. Some other concerns are with the impact on bird and bat populations, visual obstruction, noise, and the small amount of oils and fluids used to maintain and keep the turbines working effectively. The issue with birds and bats colliding with the turbines has been a problem in recent years and the wind industry has responded by putting a lot of research into the habits and behavior of the animals to try and minimize any mass casualties. Both the noise and the visual obstruction issues have been addressed by instituting better insulation measures to reduce noise as well as having fewer, more efficient

models in circulation then previous models. To operate to the turbine’s fullest power, ideal conditions where wind turbines should be placed is somewhere with open space and little to no obstructions, so wind farms in the dessert or on grassy plains are common, and somewhere with a better chance of windy conditions.

Three blades, each about 116 feet tall each, are turned by the wind. The blades turn a shaft inside which is connected to a series of gears, which generates more revolutions per minute, these gears spin a generator to create electricity. The energy generated by wind turbines is moved and stored like other current forms of energy. The electricity is sent from the point of origin, an industrial-scale wind farm, small wind farm, or any individual wind turbine, to a transmission grid and then to a substation near a populated area. One of the only issues with the transmission of energy produced by wind turbines is the lack of transmission facilities in areas where wind farms would be most beneficial. In the western Great Plains a requirement for transmission facilities to

connect wind facilities to the existing electrical system is needed. This could also require upgrading some existing electrical transmission facilities to allow for the connection that is required. There

could also be a need for the construction of roads for maintenance purposes and electric transmission facility operation and construction. Even though there is still a long way to go for wind energy, no one can deny the potential for this alternative resource. The global total for installed wind capacity was measured at more than 318,000 megawatts. Last year 25% of Iowa and South Dakota's energy was produced by wind energy. The national average is around 4% even though the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that 20% of the United States electrical needs could be provided for by the wind industry.

Natural Disaster Response

Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami- Fukushima Nuclear Disaster    

On Friday March 11, 2011 an earthquake hit just off the coast of Japan. The earthquake had a magnitude of 9.0 and was categorized as an undersea megathrust earthquake. The earthquake occurred at an underwater depth of about 19 miles below the surface. The earthquake also caused a tsunami that effected most of coastal Japan. The tsunami had an upthrust of 19-26 feet along a wide seabed that was 37 miles off the coast of Tohoku. An estimated wave height of 128ft hit the Omoe peninsula. The tsunami was tall enough to break over the 18 foot sea wall that used to be the largest precautionary sea wall in the world. The earthquake and tsunami combination amounted to 15,889 deaths, 6,152 injured persons, and 2,601 people were reported missing. The estimated cost of the earthquake and tsunami is around 250-500 billion U.S. dollars. The events in Tohoku left about 25 million tons of debris in Japan’s coastal cities and towns. The tsunami alone displaced 340,000 people from the Tohoku region. Shortages of food, fuel, water, shelter, and medicine were abundant despite the mobilization of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. The Japanese Red Cross reported 1 billion dollars in donations and Japan’s foreign ministry accounted for 116 countries and 28 international organizations that offered help. After this double disaster Japan has made sure to list and keep up with all possible relief charities and countries who assisted in the past. 

Fukushima-Daiichi today

Fukushima-Daiichi before (left) and during (right)

Because of Japan’s coastal location and seismic activity, the entire island itself is incredibly susceptible to almost any sort of natural disaster (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.) And because of how narrow the island is, any natural disaster that hits Japan is more likely to cause more widespread damage. Since Japan is known for its large power in Nuclear energy, natural disasters became more of an issue in case of power outages and subsequent radiation leaks. Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is a large plant on the eastern coast of Japan. Fukushima had precautions in place in case of a power outage. Operating units were designed to automatically shut down and backup diesel generators in the basement of the turbine buildings were to be used for the cooling towers' fuel. In response to the earthquake, media outlets knew to immediately put out tsunami warnings and alert the citizens in coastal cities to flee to higher ground. When the earthquake occurred the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th reactors in the plant had been previously shut down for scheduled maintenance. Reactors 1, 2, and 3 were automatically shut down by an automated system after the earthquake and remaining decay heat was

being cooled by the backup diesel generators. The tsunami that followed with as high as 46 feet waves disabled the generators that were cooling the reactors since the reactors were only designed to handle up to 19 foot waves. In the following three weeks there was evidence of partial nuclear meltdowns in the three unprotected units, which were supposedly caused by hydrogen gas in reactors 3 and 1 and a suspected explosion in unit 2, which could have damaged the primary containment vessel. In the case of Fukushima, damages were minimal in the case of human casualties with only 37 workers had physical injuries, 2 had radiation buns, and no deaths. The estimated cost of Fukushima's disaster is around 74 billion U.S. dollars. Also, because of the nuclear radiation leak and subsequent evacuation of a 12 mile radius caused 159,128 people to be evicted and displaced from their homes with little to no compensation. On August 1, 2013, Japanese Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi approved creating a structure to develop the technologies and processes required to dismantle the four reactors involved in the Fukushima accident. The entire process will take about 40 years to complete because of the danger involved with the radiation from the remaining cesium rod melt.

Globalization: Coca-Cola

From Coca-Cola's start in 1886 to now, the brand is now selling in over 200 countries worldwide. Based on the best global brand study done in 2011 by Interbrand, Coca-Cola was placed at number one as the world’s most valuable brand. Last year alone Coca-Cola reported around 1.8 billion drinks sold. In the 1900s a demand for the global availability arose when U.S. military began occupying Cuba and Panama. To meet the demand, bottling plants were placed in these countries. Once the benefits of cost was recognized, other plants were established in Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Hawaii. It was publicly introduced to the global market when it became the first commercial sponsor in the 1928 Olympic games. In the 1960s the company decided to expand into other sodas and flavors with the introduction of Fanta, Sprite, and Fresca. This expansion also came with the purchase of the Minute Maid company which introduced an entire line of juices and uncarbonated drinks. One of the biggest expansion came in 1982 when Coca-Cola introduced Diet Coke which quickly became the largest selling low calorie soft drink in America. Another huge part of the globalization of Coca-Cola is the way it has been marketed. Coca-Cola's marketing has become popular through the use of jingles, eye-catching commercials, and catchy slogans. Coca-Cola has also been able to evolve to the different tastes across all ages, continents, and taste pallets. For example, in Japan they have a green tea flavored Coca-Cola drink. Many of the changes in society associated with the Coca-Cola company are health related. A lot of parents began to be concerned with the amounts of sugar and caffeine in the drinks. Because of these concerns, many schools have made restrictions, or even banned to encourage children and teens to choose healthier alternatives.

"Coca-Cola encapsulates what happened in the 20th century: the rise of consumer capitalism and the emergence of America as a superpower," Tom Standage said. "It's globalization in a bottle."

Coca-Cola has become a symbol of America, and because of this many countries have either embraced or rejected the entire brand. In 1949 Coca-Cola wanted to open a plant in Israel but was denied a building permit. In response to several claims that Coca-Cola was boycotting Israel to please the much larger Arab market, the Arab League Boycotted the Coca-Cola company from 1968 to 1991. Other Middle Eastern countries have also boycotted Coca-Cola, Like Malaysia in 2009 after an Israeli attack in Gaza, which was also rooted in the fact that Coca-Cola is a big U.S. company. Even just last year, a pro-Palestinian hacker group targeted Coca-Cola’s website. Coca-Cola has gained so much global notoriety since its beginnings and continues to grow with the expansion of products, availability, and publicity.

In recent years, smoking in public has been in the news several times. Increases in taxation, bans for specific public spaces, and even legislation to put more strict rules and limits on tobacco companies, have all been recent pieces of discussion in the media within the five or so years. Airports and colleges have recently taken more steps to providing smoke free, and in some cases tobacco free, environments for non-smokers. Bars, restaurants, and office buildings were among the first to ban smoking and those bans are moving further into society by moving outdoors. Several cities and states have banned smoking in public spaces like city parks, public beaches, and other outdoor venues.

With the recent popularity of e-cigarettes also comes new skepticism and proposed restrictions. Many organizations have shown concern over the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes, especially among teens and young adults, which increased the demand for restrictions on the availability and flavors of e-cigarettes. Since we discussed health stigmas of the 1950s I decided to research and look at a topic that has been controversial for decades and has only increased in recent years with the development of more ways to consume and use tobacco and tobacco products. Although secondhand smoke has been a concern for a very long time, with the new development of e-cigarettes, many people are concerned with the risks that are associated with them. Many advocates of e-cigarettes claim that there is no harmful vapor from the product and that only harmless water vapor is emitted. As of January 2, 2014, 108 municipalities recognize e-cigarettes as products that should be prohibited in smoke free environments.  Dr. Stanton Glantz, Director for the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, recently said that the emissions from e-cigarettes (Secondhand e-cigarette aerosol) can contain nicotine, ultrafine particles, and low levels of toxins that are known to cause cancer.

Governments of all sizes have taken concern for public smoking and bans. Local governments have taken action to restrict the allowance of smoking in public places, especially where children and large amounts of people gather. The national government hasn’t taken many measures to issue a law banning smoking, although many legislations have been introduced, none have taken national concern or been made into law. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also been able to increase action within the Center for Tobacco Products concerning the use, advertisement, and distribution to young adults. A national campaign called The Truth Campaign, which has existed since around 1998, has taken to new advertisements devoted to portraying photographs of celebrities smoking as “unpaid tobacco spokespersons”. This bold form of social media advertisements serve as a way to empower teens to influence their peers not to smoke, not out of fear or shame, but with facts and education.  Even though smoking in teens is at a historical low, the truth campaign serves to eliminate teen smoking entirely. The Truth Campaign also aims to expose Big Tobacco’s manipulative ad tactics and propaganda.There has also been another piece of legislation gaining national attention to ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after the year 2000. This ban has passed in several places and is gaining recognition in more and more places. The British Medical Association has recently voted to pass this ban everywhere, however unpopular or ineffective in may be in action. 

Links and Articles:
Video could not be added
 Smoking ban for people born after 2000
Recent U.S. rulings
E-cigarettes secondhand smoke
Secondhand Smoke Effects
Smoking Statistics in the U.S.